Overview
Alexander Acosta served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 2005 to 2009. In that capacity, he personally oversaw the negotiations that produced the 2008 non-prosecution agreement with Jeffrey Epsteina deal that gave Epstein an 18-month county jail sentence with extensive work release in exchange for limited guilty pleas on state charges, while shielding him from federal prosecution.
The NPA Negotiations
Federal investigators and Palm Beach Police had compiled evidence of systematic abuse involving more than 40 identified minor victims. Epstein’s legal teamled by Alan Dershowitz, Kenneth Starr, and Jay Lefkowitzconducted an extended negotiating campaign directly with Acosta’s office.
The resulting agreement:
- Resolved federal exposure in the SDFL only
- Required only state-level guilty pleas
- Included a clause granting immunity to unnamed co-conspirators
- Was negotiated without notifying victimsa violation of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, as Judge Marra ruled in 2019
Acosta’s Explanation
When the deal became public controversy following the Miami Herald’s 2018 investigation, Acosta gave a press conference stating he was told that Epstein “belonged to intelligence” and had been “above his pay grade.” He did not identify who told him this or which agency was allegedly involved. The statement has never been corroborated or confirmed by any intelligence agency.
Resignation as Labor Secretary
Acosta was confirmed as President Trump’s Secretary of Labor in 2017 despite senators raising questions about the Epstein deal during his confirmation hearings. After Epstein’s July 2019 arrest reignited public scrutiny of the NPA, Acosta resigned in July 2019, stating that the renewed attention on the case would be a distraction from the Department of Labor’s work.
Inspector General Review
A DOJ Inspector General review, released in 2020, criticized Acosta’s handling of the casefinding that federal prosecutors had failed to adequately inform victims of the NPA and had given Epstein more favorable treatment than the evidence demanded. No criminal charges were recommended.